


What's in a Name?

by blklightpixie26



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2016-06-30
Packaged: 2018-07-19 03:59:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7343884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blklightpixie26/pseuds/blklightpixie26
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Albus Severus knows he is named after two great men, but it's the idea of finding one that sends him on a search.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What's in a Name?

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Kris for the hand holding and Ashley N. for the most perfect cover I could ever ask for :) Love you both.

[](http://tinypic.com?ref=2s6qc5t)

Albus Severus Potter glared at his cousin as she walked him up to the Headmistress's office. he had long grown tired of hearing the lecture coming out of her mouth. "Shut up."

"I'm still a prefect Al and you should't have been out of the dungeons after curfew." She stated earning another glare.

"Yeah that's why you chose your favorites too. Don't bother giving me that Ravenclaw fairness either because it's a bunch of lies that I'm tired of hearing."

Rose stopped him looking around before deciding a few extra minutes wouldn't do too much damage. "What is your problem?"

"You wouldn't understand." he replied.

“Al,”

He glared at her again. The last thing he wanted was for his Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron to find out what was going on in the house. There was still enough blame on the other person that it would cause more problems that no one needed. Al's bigger issue was that he had all ready implied something was wrong and Rose wasn't the type of person who would let the issue go. 

“You know who you are. There are no expectations because of your name. The only problems in your little world is when a rule is broken or your grades aren't perfect.” he lashed out and walked to the Headmistress's office.

He went up the stairs silently seething at the idea that his own cousin actually wanted him in trouble. It shouldn't have surprised him though. Any time any of them did anything that remotely looked dangerous or skirting the rules, Rose was not only lecturing them but telling any of the adults about it. There was so much more going on than what he had told her though. Things that should not concern him, but still had him wondering how others didn't see the same things he did. Some times it was his parents that Al thought about and other times it was the two people he was named after. The stories of Albus Dumbledore were legendary and that was a shadow that he was constantly fighting with. His other name bearer was a more difficult challenge. It was that bearer which had him more curious than his house would respect, but it was harder to ignore now that he was at Hogwarts.

“James Sirius Potter,” Minerva said walking down the stairs to her office wondering how he caused trouble this early.

Al was still looking at the various portraits hung on the walls. Portraits of former headmasters of the school some sleeping and others watching him silently as if wondering what his infraction was to be standing there. He did not take a lot of time looking at the portrait of Dumbledore, and slightly more time than he should have at Phineas Black's. The other headmasters held little to no interest for him, but he knew that his cousin would want to know everything about them. There was one portrait from which was empty that seemed to call to him. 

The brunette walked closer reading the plaque on the wooden frame and he felt his stomach fall. His father had always told him that he was named after to incredibly brave and important men. Never in his life though did he think that they had both held the same position. “No Headmistress.” he turned to look at the woman who had walked into the room. 

“Albus Severus.” she saw the first year and sighed. “Dare I ask what you are doing here?”

Al looked at floor not sure exactly how to tell her what was going on. “I was caught in the hall after curfew.” he settled.

Minerva sat in one of the chairs away from her desk. She saw him looking at the empty frame. “Am I to assume that you were looking for something or someone specific?”

“Yes Ma'am.” Al sighed knowing he was wrong, but still trying to keep things in his power. “I should have done this on a weekend during the day or after dinner.”

“Why didn't you?”

Al bit his lip the answer on the tip of his tongue, but it was far from the typical Slytherin answer. “Everyone tells me not to go looking for someone who could care less about you.”

The Headmistress glanced over at the portrait and knew that though it was far from a normal thing it was something the boy clearly needed to see. “Severus!”

The Potions Master walked into his frame seeing the back of Al's head and rolled his eyes. “The Potter spawn is here all ready?”

“Severus,” Minerva warned. “I think this is something you should handle as part of Slytherin house.”

“Surely you don't wish me to think that there is actually a Potter in my,” he stopped as the young boy turned to look at him with the same green eyes as Lily. 

Albus stared unabashedly at the Potions Master. There was something about the man that had him keeping his silence though he had so many unanswered questions. McGonagall raised an eyebrow at the two of them. “Albus Severus Potter meet Severus Snape. Former Headmaster, Potions Master and Professor, and Head of Slytherin house here in Hogwarts. Severus, this is Harry Potter's middle child Albus Severus Potter.”

“Potter,” Severus looked at McGonagall. “He named his son,”

She nodded. “Al was caught after hours trying to find your portrait.”

Severus' gaze landed on the boy who had moved closer examining every inch that he could. “Am I whom you expected?”

“I don't know Sir. I have very little to base my answer from right now.” Al answered quietly.

“Gentleman, if you will be so kind as to allow Severus and Mr. Potter some time to talk alone.” She said and leveled a look at Dumbledore. “Alone meaning there is no eavesdropping. Please be sure to remember he has classes in the morning, Severus.”

The Potions Master nodded “You may take a seat.”

Al brought a chair over to the portrait and sat down still not quite sure how to start asking everything that he wanted to know. “You were really my father's professor?”

“I was.” Snape confirmed looking the boy over. There were aspects of both his student and his best friend in the boy. “You were sorted into Slytherin. Your father and mother must not be happy with it.”

“Mom wasn't happy, but Dad wrote back that as long as I was happy that it didn't matter where I was sorted.” he replied picking at a piece of thread on his robe sleeve. “She would be even less happy with me if she was to find out that I listened to my dad when he said that the Sorting Hat took our choice into consideration.”

Snape's eyebrow raised. “What have you done?”

Al toed the ground before looking up at the portrait. “I might have asked to be placed in Slytherin.”

“You wanted to be placed in Slytherin.” Snape eyed him doubtfully.

“At the station I wasn't too sure about being placed here. When I asked my dad he told me that there was nothing wrong with being part of Slytherin. I am named after two very brave men and one was a Slytherin. After getting on the train I met up with Scorpius and we talked more about school. He said that he would be in Slytherin because that's where all Malfoy's were sorted.”

“Indeed.” Severus answered. “Now what is this business you were caught out after curfew?”

Al sighed tucking his legs under him getting comfortable. “My know-it-all cousin caught me. I knew there was a portrait of you somewhere in the castle, but I wasn't sure of where. She was patrolling the halls and found me near the potions classrooms.”

Snape shuddered. “Granger had children.”

A small laugh came out of Al's mouth. “Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron. I would rather forget my cousin exists though.”

“If she is anything like her mother, I understand that urge.”

“From what dad tells me they are very much alike.” Al said resting his head on the arm of the chair. “I would much rather be here talking with you than to deal with her or my brother.”

Severus watched the child getting tired, but fighting it in order to get what he wanted. “You do not even know me.”

“You aren't the Dungeon bat everyone claims you are. They told me that Papa, I mean Mr. Malfoy wasn't very nice either, but they lied.”

“Take everything people say with dose of skepticism. What is the business about Mr. Malfoy and Papa?”

Al grinned. “It's my secret with dad. I got a new broom because I kept it quiet that Dad and Mr. Malfoy get together when Mom's out reporting. During quidditch season I see him more than my mom.”

“Yet you did not know Scorpius.”

Al shook his head yawning. “Mom doesn't like anyone who was in Slytherin. She says they are all racist and evil.”

“Must be a Weasley.”

Al nodded his eyes closing from all the excitement. “Ginny Weasley.”

“I think it is time for you to return to your room.” Severus said quietly.

Al's eyes snapped open. “No. I found you and I still have so many questions.”

“I will speak with Headmistress McGongall about allowing you to return.” Severus promised. “For now you will return to your room. I will not have one of my snakes falling asleep in class and lose points. There is a house cup to win.”

The young boy got up carefully. “What about my punishment?”

“I will speak with her about that also.” Severus replied “To the Dungeons with you.”

“Yes sir.” Al smiled tiredly. “Thank you.”

Severus watched the boy go and shook his head. He had not expected any of Potter's children to be sorted into Slytherin much less be very happy about it. The talk with McGonagall would wait until the morning when he would have the boy serve his punishment with him.

Down in the dungeons, Al changed into his pajamas and curled up in his bed. He looked over at his best friend. “Scorpius are you still awake?”

“About time you got back here.” Scorpius replied shifting up onto his elbow. “What took you so long? Did you find him?”

Al nodded as he thought about it. “You got me into trouble though.”

“How did I do that? I told you what Father said about the times that the dungeon hallways were patrolled.”

“You didn't tell me that I could be caught by a Ravenclaw prefect.” Al pouted. “I thought only Slytherin prefects patrolled down here.”

Scorpius shrugged. “Father didn’t tell me anything about that either. Then again he didn't want to tell me much about the patrols either, but changed his mind when he found out why I wanted to know. What is he like?”

“He doesn't like my family much. Apparently my brother is a troublemaker here too.” Al shifted. “He's going to let me go back to talk to him this weekend. Maybe if it happens I can get more questions answered.”

“You have too many questions for a Slytherin.” Scorpius informed him before moving his blanket so Al could get in next to him. “People might mistake you for a Ravenclaw.”

“I am nothing like Rose Weasley.” Al glared but moved over to his best friend's bed. “I just want to know the person I am named after better.”

Scorpius closed his eyes and found a comfortable spot. “next you'll tell me your name isn't Al that it's Severus.”

Al laid there thinking about the idea. His father might not mind the change and he knew that Mr. Malfoy wouldn't, but his mother she was a whole different problem. “I don't know him well enough yet to make that decision. Besides he tells me that I am right taking what others say with a dose of skepticism.”

“He's right.” Scorpius yawned. “Go to sleep.”

The darker of the two nodded taking the other side of the bed and settling down. He would write about this to his father in the morning, but right now he was warm and comfortable where he was. It didn't matter what his punishment was though because he had found the person he was looking for and got to speak to him. The only thing he could wish for now was that his father got to be as happy as he was at that moment.


End file.
